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By K.R. Nayar From Lord’s Cricket Ground   On August 14. 2025, budding cricketers who are on a tour of England with the G Force Cricket Academy got to experience two of the latest formats of the game on. In the morning, they played Smash 50-ball cricket at the Ardingly cricket ground, and in the evening, they watched ‘The Hundred’ at Lord’s Cricket Ground, played by international stars like Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Ollie Pope, etc. For the youngsters, both were memorable experiences.   G Force Boys during The Hundred match at the  Lord's  Head coach Gopal Jasapara has innovated many formats. Each time he introduced or played a new format, I’ve been fortunate to report it. In 2008, when he introduced the 10-over cricket and I reported it, very few believed that one day it would become an international format. He introduced the 10-over format, and the Dubai Cricket Council approved it. The tournament was held at Zabeel Park Ground, where only limited time slots...

By K.R. Nayar From Ardingly, England Ian Trott is one of the most renowned coaches who has groomed many youngsters into international cricketers. Father of England Test star Jonathan Trott, Ian has been coaching youngsters during G Force Academy cricket tours around the world for many years. He is a reservoir of tales from the game and was happy to share some interesting stories about the spirit of the game. Ian Trott... a coach with reservoir of cricket tales  The discussion around how to play with the spirit of the game came up after an incident during this ongoing tour in the final of the Global Cricket Festival at Oakham, when G Force took on the G Force Global team. Before narrating this incident, he talked about a game in which England skipper Paul Collingwood had to step down following a run-out incident in which he did not adhere to the spirit of the game, during the 2008 fourth ODI between England and New Zealand at the Oval. Jonathan Trott... son of Ian Trott  ...

  By K.R. Nayar From Ardingly, England   Cricket enthusiast and Dubai-based businessman Shyam Bhatia unveiled his museum’s first-ever T-shirt during the ongoing G Force Cricket Academy’s 52nd tour, being held at the picturesque and historic Ardingly College in West Sussex, England. Steeped in history, the Shyam Bhatia Cricket Museum in Dubai is one of the world’s best museums, filled with personal memorabilia from the legends of the game. The history of each cricket-playing country and the tales of cricket are all depicted on the walls of this museum.   Shyam Bhatia unveils the Shyam Bhatia cricket museum T-shirt at Ardingly during the G Force cricket tour  Bhatia, who promotes the game by distributing cricket kits around the world, even to the remotest areas, and supports budding cricketers, deliberately chose the G Force Academy tour day at Ardingly to unveil his museum’s T-shirt and cap, and to be with budding cricketers who are eager to learn the game. Pres...

By K.R. Nayar From London   In the last paragraph of my story on the drawn Manchester Test, I had mentioned that this series would be added to the list of epic battles, and that a 2–2 draw would be the icing on the cake. With India winning the Oval Test by six runs to level the series, cricket has rewarded the two teams that played brilliant cricket and shared the honours equally. Till the last ball was bowled at the Oval, it could have been anybody’s game, and hence it was another endorsement of the beauty of Test cricket.   I am also tempted to believe that cricket rewarded me too for my love for the game by giving me the opportunity to write this column from London, where it all happened. Why else should I have been here, just as I have been fortunate to witness many historic moments and tournaments? Soaking in the slight drizzle and the below 20-degree weather, and writing this epic ending to a great series, will remain unforgettable for me.   Writing this c...

By K.R. Nayar The fourth Test between India and England ended in a draw on Sunday. Many have called it a great escape for India.  Yes, defeat had loomed over India like a gathering storm. But what unfolded was not a tale of survival—it was a tale of defiance, of grit, of fire forged in the furnace of pressure.   No one believed that after England posted a lead of 311 runs, and India reeling at 0 for 2, India would end the match in a draw at 425 for 4.   One can label it as an escape if only one or two wickets were left or if the last pair had blocked the final overs. India’s brave batting in the second innings was such that England could manage to get only four wickets. They made England toil hard for 143 overs, leaving them drained and frustrated. India’s batting was an exhibition of true grit and valour.   It is a fact that the Indian batting did not click in the first innings and that the England batters excelled raking up 669 runs. India’s batting under...

By K.R. Nayar Gurumurthy Palani, who has been spreading the game among Associate countries over the years in different roles, has been elected to the reputed International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC). Representing France, Palani, who is a highly qualified banker with 30 years of experience in banking, consulting, and fintech, has carried a deep passion for the game and has been serving it for many years. He was elected to this august body along with Anurag Bhatnagar of Hong Kong and Gurdeep Klair of Canada.   Gurumurthy Palani with Jay Shah, chairman of ICC, after being elected to the ICC CEC  Over the years, I’ve followed Palani’s numerous    initiatives to spread the game not only in France but also in Bahrain, where he has set up a High Performance Academy. The number of events he has staged for men’s and women’s cricket and his efforts towards creating facilities to nurture talent have all contributed to his elevation to the ICC’...